beowke



W. E. BROWNE.

Shell.

Patented June 10, 1862.

lnve ntor NFETERS. PHOTO-LITHQGRAPHER, WASHeNTON, D C.

theirs STATES Parana @rrrce.

\V. E. BROVVNE, OF VALLEY FALLS, RHODE ISLAND.

IMPROVEMENT IN-EXPLQSEVE eeoanorsres Foe ORDNANCE.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 35,5493. dated June 10,186

539 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM E. BROWNE, of Valley Falls, in the county ofProvidence and State of Rhode Island, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Elongated Projectiles for Ordnance; and I dohereby declare that the following is a full,. clear, and exactdescription of the same, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure l is aside view of an elongated explosive projectile with myimprovement,showing it in condition for transportation. Fig. 2 is a similar View ofthe same, showing the pro j ectile in the condition it assumes on itsdischarge from the gun. Fig. 3 is a central 1ongitudinal section of thesame, corresponding with Fig. 1.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the severalfigures.

This invention consists, first, in a certain arrangement ofobliquely-expanding wings for the purpose of obtaining a rotary motionof a projectile about its axis by the resistance of the atmosphere toits flight when tired from a smooth-bored gun. I

It consists, secondly, in a certain mode of combining one or moreexpanding wings and a nipple or nipples, or their equivalents, for thereception of percussion-caps or other percussion priming in an explosiveprojectile, for the purpose of making-such wing or wings constitute ahammer or hammers by which the said priming is exploded on theprojectile striking.

To enable others to make and use my invention, I will proceed todescribe its construction and operation.

A is the body of the projectile, made with an opening at its point, asshown, or at its base, for the introduction of the charge, and fittedwith a screw-plug, B, to close it after being charged.

11 b are recesses formed at equal distances apart all around theexterior of the body A, for the reception of the expanding wings D D,said recesses having their sides parallel with the axis of theprojectile, as shown, or oblique thereto. The said wings D D'areattached at their rear ends to the bodyA by means of pins 0 0, insertedthrough them and through the portions of the body at the sides of theirrespective recesses b b, at an angle of about forty- I five degrees toplanes passing longitudinally through the axis of the projectile, andthe rear ends of thesaid wings are made parallel with the said pins, toenable them to swing outward bya movementupon the said pins in themanner shown in Fig. 2. The rear ends of the recesses b b are also madeparallel with the said pins. The exterior surfaces of the wingsare soformed that when closed up into the recesses Z) 1) their exteriorsurfaces are flush with the exterior surface of the body A. In one ormore of the recesses b b or in each one there is provided a a nipple, d,with a vent, n, to the central cavity, 0, which contains the charge ofgunpowder to effect the disruption of the body A of the projectile, anda percussion-cap, f, or other percussion priming is applied to eachnipple,and under the front portion of each wing there is placed a stop,composed of a piece of wire, which is arranged across the cavity b,withits ends resting in notches h 7L, provided in the body A, on each sideof the recess 1), for its reception, such stops being for the purpose ofkeeping the wings out of contact with the caps or other priming duringthe transportation of the projectile. These pins are kept in place untilthe projectile is placed in the gun, by means of a band, j, of wire orother material, encircling the body of the projectile around withintheir recesses b b.

E is a packing-band of soft metal, applied bythe gases developed in theexplosion of the charge of the gun, for the purpose of prevent ingwindage.

The projectile, charged and capped, and with the stops 9 g and band j japplied, may

\Vhen it is to be inserted in the gun,the band j is slipped off. and thestops 9 9 may be allowed to drop out of their places and from the projectile, which is inserted into the gun in the same manner as any otherprojectile. "When the discharge of the gun takes place on the projectileleaving the gun, the wings D are caused by their inertia to fly outfromthe body Ain the manner shown in Fig. 2, in which condition they areretained bythe pressure of the air in front of them during the flight ofthe projectile, and in which condition, owing to the spiral or nearlyspiral arrangement of their faces or inner sides relatively to the axisof the wings DD and confining the said wings round the base of theprojectile to be expanded be transp orted and handled with perfectsafety.

the proj ecti1e,the resistance of the atmosphere, acting against thesaid faces or sides, causes the rotation of the projectile on its axis.On the striking of the projectile against any body having sufficientresisting-power to stop or considerably retard the body A,the wings,continuing to move forward by the momentum they have acquired, arecausedto strike like hammers upon the percussion caps ff, which arethereby exploded and caused to fire the charge in the cavity 0 andproduce the disruption of the body A.

I do not claim, broadly, furnishing a pr0- jectile with Wings which flyout from the body and assume a spiral relation thereto in the flight ofthe projectile; but

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

1. The arrangement of the expanding wings D D to swing from recesses inthe sides of the body of the projectile upon pins 00, arranged obliquelyto planes passing through the axis of the projectile, substantially asand for the purpose herein set forth.

2. The combination of one or more expanding wings, D D, attached to thebody of the projectile, and one or more nipples or their equivalentsprovided on the said body for the reception of percussion-caps or otherpercussion prin1ing,whereby the said wings are made to constitutehammers for the explosion of the percussion priming, substantially asherein specified. W. E. BR-OTWNE.

\Vitnesses:

VINCENT BROWN, WILLIAM SPINK.

